


keep your friends close and your rivals closer

by ohvictor



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Drabble Collection, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:26:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25177636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohvictor/pseuds/ohvictor
Summary: A collection of Pokemon Sword/Shield drabbles. Currently Leon/Raihan focus.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 65





	1. rain dance

Raihan has been waiting for Leon outside Motostoke Station for about twenty minutes.

This is not the longest time Raihan’s waited for Leon to arrive somewhere — obviously. Anyone who knows Leon knows that his sense of direction is terrible, and that if he’s going anywhere he hasn’t been before (and, actually, even if he _has_ ), you’d better factor in extra travel time for him. Raihan’s in a particular position with dating Leon, too; he’s committed to quite a lot of waiting for his boyfriend to arrive places. Raihan _knows_. 

But Raihan is really hungry. And it’s raining, making it extra inconvenient to have to dawdle around outside. 

He clicks his tongue, exasperated. He even brought an umbrella covered in little Sobbles that he thought Leon would enjoy, and the guy isn’t even here to see it. Plus, if he’s not careful his hair will get frizzy, and then he won’t want to take a cute dinner selfie with Leon. It’s just really unfortunate all around.

But Raihan’s not a Gym Leader for nothing. He can always take things into his own hands, right? And in this case, that means venturing out from the little alcove by the restaurant he’s supposed to meet Leon at, and trying to trace Leon’s steps. The Champion’s a busy guy, so Raihan’s not exactly sure where he’s arriving from, but Leon mentioned something about taking the train, so Motostoke Station’s a good bet. Yeah, there’s that brilliant deduction Raihan’s capable of. 

He makes his way back through the rain-drenched streets of Motostoke, his feet carrying him surely towards the station. That sense of direction is a luxury Leon doesn’t have, so it’s a good thing he’s dating a guy like Raihan, honestly. That sense of pride is short-lived, though, because Motostoke Station comes into sight quickly, and there’s no sign of Leon anywhere. 

Undeterred, Raihan pokes his head inside the station, careful not to let his umbrella drip onto the station floor. No Leon. Raihan’s stomach grumbles, and Raihan mentally agrees with it. Where _is_ this guy?

Motostoke Station isn’t huge, so Raihan scans it pretty quickly, with no sign of his boyfriend. Scratching his head, he remembers there’s a little backyard area he’s seen through train windows but never actually set foot in, so on a whim, he exits the building and walks around it to find a little clearing with some trees.

In the center of this clearing is Leon, surrounded by curious Cutiefly. The tiny Pokemon are buzzing around his head and pulling gleefully at strands of his hair as he tries in vain to catch a closer glimpse of their bright eyes. 

Before Raihan can react — take a breath, snap a pic, call out something, he’s not even sure what he wants to do — Leon looks up, and his sharp eyes spot Raihan standing at the entrance to the yard. His face lights up with pure happiness at the sight of his boyfriend, which makes Raihan’s heart skip a few beats. Then the memory of the situation seems to hit Leon, and he looks appropriately bashful. 

“There you are,” Raihan sighs, trying to act like the sight of his boyfriend surrounded by cute Pokemon didn’t basically melt all his frustration away. “You took so long I had to come find you.”

“I’m sorry,” Leon says. “I saw these Cutiefly through the train windows as we were pulling into the station, and I had to check them out... Hey, what’s a group of Cutiefly called? A swarm? A horde?” He’s already pulling out his Rotom Phone, probably to message Sonia, who knows everything (or close to it). 

“Can we get out of the rain first,” Raihan reminds him.

Leon looks back up, pocketing his phone. “Oh? Can’t your Pokemon make the rain stop, weather boy?”

“You’re funny,” Raihan deadpans. He steps closer, though, enough that he can knock Leon’s arm with his own. Leon just steps neatly under Raihan’s umbrella, leaning his wet sleeve against Raihan’s dry one. Raihan bonks the side of Leon’s head with the umbrella handle, making Leon yelp. “Ow! Are you trying to battle Galar’s Champion? Very well, I accept!”

“At least buy me dinner before challenging me to battle,” Raihan says.

“I guess I _should_ pay, since I made you wait,” Leon says.

“I’d like my payment now, actually.” Raihan shifts the umbrella to his other hand, and leans into Leon’s space, his eyes intent on Leon’s. Leon grins, that wide smile that Raihan fell for instantly, and kisses him, his mouth surprisingly warm despite the cold rain all around them. 

“Dinner,” Leon says when they part. 

Raihan laughs, helpless. “You don’t have to tell _me_ that.” 


	2. sunny day

The expanse of the Wild Area stretches out all around Leon, peerless in its majesty, its potential for life. It’s one of the things Leon loves most about Galar, and he’s explored nearly every corner of it, happy to wander the hills and valleys with his Pokemon romping along at his side, not caring if he gets lost (and he does get lost). Even if Leon didn’t know the huge diversity of the Pokemon that make their home here, he’d still find himself breathless at the beauty of the rolling hills, the huge mossy rocks, the rippling seas of grass, the sparkling waters. It’s beautiful, rich, vibrant. 

Yet even here, Leon can scarcely take his eyes off of Raihan. Even now, when all Raihan is doing is sitting there, grass crunched underneath him, his lips parted in concentration as he weaves together the stems of several flowers he picked in the Dappled Grove. He was insistent on picking only red, white, and yellow ones, even enlisting in Leon’s help to spot them, although all Leon did was pick a few yellow blossoms and then get distracted following a very confused Lotad around. Even so, Raihan managed to collect the flowers he wanted, and then made Leon sit down with him while he arranged them to achieve his desired effect.

The sun glances off Raihan’s cheeks as he looks over at Leon, a messily-woven flower crown hanging from his fingers. “Take your hair down,” he instructs. “And take off your hat. Show me that Champion mane.”

Typically Leon’s happy to fulfill Raihan’s requests, but he does keep his hair tied back for neatness (and not flying in his eyes during battle). He squints at his boyfriend, half-skepticism, half-sun in his eyes. “Why?”

“So I can put flowers in it, obviously.”

That’s really cute. Is it cute enough that Leon’s willing to let his hair get tangled...? Aw, what the heck. He can detangle it tonight; it’s not like he doesn’t have time, and maybe he can get Raihan to entertain him while he’s doing it. Sighing, Leon takes his cap off and undoes the band keeping his hair back, and gives his head a good shake. At the edge of his field of vision, he sees Raihan laughing at him, but Leon takes it in stride. Raihan can’t tease him about his Champion mane if it’s _true_. (Yes, he can.)

“All yours,” he tells Raihan.

“You already were,” Raihan says, fond. He scoots closer and carefully sets his flimsy flower chain atop Leon’s head, and adjusts it in a few places so that it sits evenly over Leon’s brow. Leon can feel it pressing down on the cowlicky wings of hair at the sides of his head, and wonders how he looks. Raihan will definitely take a picture of the look once he’s satisfied, though, so Leon doesn’t bother pulling out his own Rotom Phone to check his appearance. 

Apparently, Raihan isn’t satisfied with just the crown. He picks up the remaining flowers and starts tucking them into Leon’s hair, his mouth hanging open as he evaluates the placement. The flowers go in Leon’s little side cowlicks, in the hair hanging by his cheeks, by his shoulders; one flower even goes in his bangs. Raihan’s grinning again by the time he finishes, sitting back to survey his handiwork. “Yeah, this is a great look. You look like the king of the Wild Area.”

“You could probably call the Champion that,” Leon says. “Though, this land belongs to the Pokemon that live on it.”

The flower in his bangs is a little too heavy to stay, and Leon reaches up to remove it before it can fall into his eyes. Inspired, he reaches out and tucks it into Raihan’s headband, moving too fast for Raihan to stop him. 

“Hey,” Raihan protests, “the flowers are for _you_.”

“We can share,” Leon insists. “It’s cute.”

“Hmmm.” As expected, Raihan takes out his Rotom Phone, positioning it in the air for a selfie. He leans into Leon’s side, their cheeks touching, and pulls a peace sign as the Rotom counts down a selfie timer. Leon’s already smiling wide enough for a picture, just from being with Raihan. When the shutter clicks, Raihan grabs the Rotom Phone from the air and examines the photo, zooming in on the flower in his hair with a frown. “Eh... It’s cuter than I thought. I’ll give you credit, then.”

“It’s my Champion instinct.”

“Quiet.”

“Boyfriend instinct, then?”

“Be _quiet_ ,” Raihan huffs. His cheek is still close to Leon’s, and Leon can feel the heat of his blush. Leon can’t help but turn his head and give Raihan a quick kiss, compromised by cute boyfriend. 

“You better send me that selfie,” he says.

“Already did,” Raihan tells him, pocketing his Rotom Phone with a wink. “Wouldn’t want you to miss out on admiring your handiwork.” He’s already removing the flower from his hair.

“Aw,” Leon sighs. “It was cute while it lasted.”

“You’re cuter.”

“No, you.”

“No. You’re my cuteness rival.”

Leon laughs, caught off-guard. “Is that another way of saying boyfriend?”

“In this case, yeah.”

When Leon’s Rotom Phone pings with the photo of them with flowers in their hair, Leon wastes no time in setting it as his lockscreen. He wants to remember this moment forever.


	3. sand stream

_My matches this afternoon will be done around 4:30_ , Raihan had said that morning, seeing Leon and his Charizard off after breakfast. _If you come by around then, I’ll be off and we can grab dinner together_.

Leon arrives at Hammerlocke’s stadium at 4:35, which he considers to be just as good as on time. Therefore, he’s surprised to find the stadium still packed, the distant roars of the crowd mingling with the sounds of Pokemon battle cries, with League Staff members positioned at the entrance. Of course, as Galar’s Champion, Leon can get in if he has to, but the real question is _why_. Raihan told him 4:30, and League battles don’t typically run behind. Raihan’s a tough opponent, too; it’s rare for a battle to drag on (ha) longer than it takes Raihan to wipe the floor with his opponent, and Raihan rarely misjudges how long a battle is going to take.

Regardless, there’s nothing to do but investigate! Leon flashes a smile to the League Staff at the gate, his own sort of badge, and the Staff member greets him with a smile and ushers him into the stadium. The seats are packed, and Leon doesn’t want to draw attention away from Raihan’s fight, so he follows the Staff member around the back of the bleachers to a small area set back from the rest, where he can just see the pitch. The sandstorm raging across the battlefield isn’t helping his vision, but that’s Raihan for you!

“When did this match start?” Leon asks the Staff member, leaning into her space to be heard over the yells from the crowd.

“4:30,” she calls.

Huh, the match is proceeding right on schedule, then. Why did Raihan double-book himself? Maybe he forgot about this match, or the challenger arrived after he made plans with Leon for the evening? Truly, it’s a champion mystery...

But there’s nothing to do for it but wait until Raihan’s match is over so Leon can ask the man himself. So he gives the Staff member a thumbs up, indicating he’s good here, and then folds his arms, leaning forward to get the best view of the match that he can.

The challenger’s turn is up now, the crowd quieting in anticipation of his move. It’s a kid, probably in his mid teens. Leon has to squint for a second to make out his jersey through the streaming sand in the air: League number 39. Leon can’t get a good idea of his vibe with his back to him and no clothing cues, just the official League challenger uniform. Right now he’s got a Frosmoth on the field, facing down Raihan’s Flygon and Gigalith. It’s a good instinct, since Frosmoth’s Ice moves will be super effective against Flygon, and it speaks to this kid’s bond with his Pokemon to have a Frosmoth at all, much less one strong enough to hold its own against Raihan for more than one turn. Based on the state of the pitch all around them, which sports scrapes and scorch marks from previous battles, most of the kid’s other Pokemon must have gotten knocked out already. So as for how long _this_ match’ll last...

“Flygon, Steel Wing!”

Yeah, that Frosmoth is toast. Leon watches as Raihan’s Flygon charges at the kid’s Frosmoth and rakes at it with its claws. The Frosmoth reels back, and then dissolves into a flash of light that jets back to a Pokeball strapped to the kid’s belt.

“Ah,” the kid says, his voice amplified across the stadium, as the crowd cheers for Raihan’s victory. “Frosmoth... I’m sorry!”

“It fought well,” Raihan praises. At his side Flygon’s standing back, glancing between Raihan and the kid as it waits for its next opponent. 

As the kid fiddles with the Pokeballs on his belt, Raihan turns to face his half of the stadium, his arms flung out in a sweeping gesture. “C’mon, let’s get hype! Give this kid some encouragement, yeah? I mean, I’m gonna beat ‘im, but we can still have a chill time!”

The crowd cheers, the sound shaking the stadium. Raihan spins back around, his arms outstretched, one eye half-winked and his teeth bared in that self-satisfied grin he has that makes Leon want to grab him by the collar and kiss him breathless. Rotom Phone flying at his side, Raihan snaps a quick pic silhouetted against the crowd, his Flygon and Gigalith likely just in frame. That kind of showboating is typical of Raihan during a match, and while it’s not very polite to snub a challenger by taking selfies, it does take the crowd’s heat off a challenger who might need a second to think. 

Thoughtful as well as proud — that’s the man Leon fell in love with, all right.

Even from this far away, even with the sandstorm still raging, Leon can see the kid’s fingers shaking as he releases his last Pokemon from its ball. With a cry barely audible over the sound of the crowd, a Swoobat materializes in the air in front of the kid, flapping its wings faster to stay afloat in the sand-thick air. This isn’t the Pokemon the kid probably wanted to have out for this fight; it’ll go down in one hit from Raihan’s Gigalith. But it might snatch a couple HP from Raihan’s team if it’s lucky, which is all the kid can hope for at this point. He’ll lose honorably, at least, and Raihan will have a new victory selfie. 

With the match playing out its final moves, Leon’s predictably distracted by Raihan, who’s now practically vibrating with his victory just within reach. As he directs Gigalith through the finishing blow on the kid’s Swoobat, his arms arc through the air like he’s conducting a symphony — or more like he’s explaining a new battle strategy to Leon over a midnight snack, all the adrenaline of the late hour making his gestures wild enough to nearly knock a carton of milk off the counter. His teeth are bared in an excited grin, his pointed canines almost fangs like the jaws of a hungry Obstagoon. Though, that’s probably more Piers’ thing — there’s no easy trainer-to-team comparison in Raihan’s case, since Raihan’s more expressive than most of his Pokemon, his team tending more towards sturdy than smug. It’s a good contrast, though, to how much flair Raihan brings to the pitch, every gesture and smirk seeming to fan the flames of the crowd. He’s a natural — and that knack for working up the crowd is outmatched only by his talent as a Gym Leader.

Leon really wants to kiss Raihan right now. 

Mercifully, the match is coming to an end. The kid’s Swoobat faints in a flash of white light, the match ending without Raihan getting to flex his Duraludon, much less Gigantamax it. An easy end to the day. Raihan’s Pokemon melt into light as they, too, return to their Ultra Balls, and Raihan strides forward to shake the kid’s hand, giving him a clap on the shoulder for good measure that the kid seems too stunned to react to. 

“Good match, good match! Train your team up and come challenge me again sometime, okay? I can tell you’ve got a strong bond,” Raihan tells him. “Your Cursola gave us a bit of trouble at the start, if I’m being honest. Harness that next time!”

It’s actually a little scary to think that a kid with a team like Frosmoth and Swoobat also commands a Cursola. Leon makes a note to ask Raihan about it over dinner. 

“Thank you,” the kid says, finally recovered enough to shake Raihan’s hand. “I-I’ll do my best!”

“Hell yeah,” Raihan cheers. 

With that, the match is over. Leon darts back out of the stadium before the crowds can reach him. Raihan will probably head for his private changing room, one perk of being Hammerlocke’s Gym Leader. He might want a shower, depending on how the rest of today’s matches went, or at least a change of clothes out of his Dragon type uniform, dusty from Gigalith’s Sand Stream. Leon’s Champion status can’t get him into Gym Leader changing areas, but that’s what his boyfriend status is for! It also helps that he knows the way to Raihan’s changing room within Hammerlock Stadium by now, so that he can find Raihan now and not...twenty minutes after the match ends. 

He hurries back out into the stadium lobby and slips through a door off to the side. From here, he’s memorized the turns and doorways to the changing area, and makes it there in record time. Okay, maybe he’s a little excited to see Raihan... But that’s natural, after seeing Raihan clear another powerful victory against a trainer! Even if Raihan wasn’t Leon’s boyfriend, Leon would think he looked super cool — and Raihan _is_ Leon’s boyfriend, so it’s _double_ cool, maybe more.

When Leon pokes his head into the Gym Leader changing area, Raihan’s already in there, halfway out of his sweatshirt. He pulls it over his head and tosses it to the floor with a satisfied huff, and then turns at the sound of Leon’s footsteps in the doorway. A surprised grin breaks across his face. “Leon! You’re early.”

“Hey, you told me 4:30, right? It’s 4:45 now,” Leon says, a glance at the clock above Raihan’s lockers confirming the time. “Why’d you double-book me with a match?”

Raihan starts laughing. “‘Cause I figured you’d get lost and get here at 5, which is when I’ll actually be ready.”

“You...” Leon launches himself across the room, reaching out to give Raihan a noogie. Raihan, still laughing, lets Leon collide with him, but ducks out of the reach of Leon’s hands, opting instead to wrap his arms around Leon’s middle and hug him tight. Leon gives up his noogie goal immediately, instead mushing his face into Raihan’s neck. His beard brushes against Raihan’s t-shirt. 

“I got to watch the end of your match,” he mumbles. “‘S good.”

“Yeah?” Even with Leon’s face pressed to Raihan’s neck, he can hear Raihan preening. “Tell me more, Champion.”

Leon laughs, happy to oblige. “You made great use of the weather, as always. Even though that kid wasn’t strong enough to put up much of a fight, you still utilized your Pokemon’s types to ensure your victory. And you were a gracious Gym Leader to the end. Really, I’m proud to have you as my rival!”

“Aw, babe.” Raihan steps back, letting go of Leon. There’s a smile tugging at his mouth, like he’s too pleased to keep it off his face. “You always have a keen eye for battle. You should come watch my matches more often.”

Leon pretends to consider. “I’m a busy guy...”

“Yeah, yeah.” Laughing, Raihan turns back toward the lockers. “Let me get changed and freshened up, and then we’ll grab a bite. Got anything in mind?”

“Weren’t you telling me about a place by the boutique you wanted to try?”

“Yeah, but that’s more of a cafe-type place. I want _real_ food.”

“Okay, then you pick. This is your city, after all.”

“Damn right it is. Okay, I’ll think about it.” Raihan grabs a towel and some clothes from his locker, and waves his hand. “I’ll be back in a sec.” 

“Wait.” Leon leans forward, and plants a kiss on Raihan’s lips. “There you go, Gym Leader.”

“Hmm,” Raihan says, visibly distracted for a second. Then he pulls himself together, probably remembering the sand on his skin, his empty stomach, the promise of date night. “We’ll get back to that later, okay?”

Leon laughs. “Sure.”

With one last look, Raihan heads off into the bathroom to wash up, and Leon sits on the bench. As the water starts running in the other room, images of Raihan from the battle flit through Leon’s mind — the flash of his blue eyes, the triumphant crow of his voice, the wide arc of his arms. All of it glorious, powerful, and all of it Leon’s, as long as Raihan will have him. If Leon’s lucky, it’ll be a long, long time. Leon can’t help but smile. He really is proud to have Raihan as his rival — and lucky to have him as even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i doubt anyone aside from my friends will read this and know what a3 is, but if you're curious, the challenger raihan battles here is based on the mascot character of a3 (my main fandom), sakuya! his jersey number, 39, is a reference to sakuya's birthday, march 9, and using goroawase, his name, sakuma sakuya ("saku", 39). in my shield playthrough i thought a lot about using 39 as my jersey number in tribute to sakuya (i ended up going with 69 instead. sorry, sakuya) so when i needed a number for this fic, 39 popped into my head, and i ended up crafting sakuya a team and half a pokemon-verse backstory to match. sometimes... fic writing comes at you fast. if you're curious, his full team is cursola, cherubi, wishiwashi, swoobat, lucario, and frosmoth.


End file.
